


of silence

by tauri



Category: Pocket Monsters: X & Y | Pokemon X & Y Versions
Genre: Community: 31_days, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-14
Updated: 2015-03-14
Packaged: 2018-03-17 20:02:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3542099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tauri/pseuds/tauri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lysandre brings Augustine the first prototype of the Holo Caster.</p>
            </blockquote>





	of silence

The first time that Lysandre had brought the prototype Holo Caster to the Sycamore research laboratory, Augustine hadn't been able to hide his delight. That, however, was not an uncommon occurrence; Lysandre's visits were usually unexpected and fleeting and he wished he didn't see the unmatched joy in Augustine's eyes every time.

Augustine turned the Holo Caster over in his hands, enthralled without even having turned it on. "It's amazing that you're able to produce these things, Lysandre. This is the prototype? It looks so stylish already...!"

"...What it _looks_ like isn't quite as important as its intended task. ...But thank you." (The design process had been lengthy, with numerous designs and redesigns and arguments before agreements. All building up to this one moment of Augustine waving it around like an excitable child.)

"Can I turn it on?"

"Of course."

Augustine held the Holo Caster in front of him and pressed the button, concentrating on it intently. The default message screen sprung into place, " _This is a test message on behalf of Lysandre Labs. This is a test message on behalf of Lysandre Labs. This is a test message--_ " The button was pressed again, and the display faded.

"...We're still early in development, of course. We have the hardware, but we're still ironing out the software. And of course, having one Holo Caster is like trying to operate one telephone; I'll have more to show you once we have the structure in place to send messages back and forth between devices."

Placing the Holo Caster onto his desk, Augustine lifted himself up to sit up next to it. He smiled widely. "You speak as if this isn't already an impressive feat, my friend! Isn't this the kind of technology we only saw in films when we were children? We have telephones, we have video conferencing, but being able to record and transmit a moving hologram to be received at a later date... you'll have to forgive me, you've probably been working on this long enough that you're almost sick of the sight of it. That you're able to design this, put it to manufacture, have it in your hands, program it further... I wouldn't even know where to begin. Which, of course, is why you're the one making these things!" He smiled as he pushed himself away from the desk, standing once more. "...And I'm the one marveling them."

Lysandre faltered. Augustine didn't mean such words to be self-deprecating, he knew that much. He spoke that way through being genuinely impressed, through looking up at Lysandre for his achievements. To think of it, Lysandre wasn't quite sure why else he would have brought the prototype to the laboratory in the first place, but it seemed almost so obvious as to be ridiculous. Bringing Augustine interesting things just to see his face light up? Understandable, but unprofessional. Was there any reason why he couldn't have waited a week or a month or more, until they had the devices communicating with one another? None that Lysandre could think of, but he knew that at that point in the future where they'd managed to get that far, he'd bring the prototype once more, and Augustine would be just as excited all over again. One didn't become a Pokemon professor without an enduring love for discovery, after all.

Lysandre would have left shortly after that, had Augustine not asked him to stay a while. Lumiose held an ever-increasing number of cafes and restaurants, but Augustine still had a coffee machine on-hand to serve his guests when needed. The sun was shining, so they left the laboratory through the rear exit and sat in the enclosed garden space. On a different day, there might have been Pokemon in that garden, Augustine's assistants observing their behavior and coming to conclusions--... but today was not one of those days.

"...Do you not have anything better to be doing?" Lysandre didn't mean for his words to sound quite as challenging as they did, only realizing this as the silence hung in the air afterward. For a moment he almost worried that he'd caused offense, but Augustine only laughed gently in reply.

"Is there anything better than enjoying the day in the comfort of a friend's company?"

Lysandre wrapped both hands around his mug of coffee, wondering what he was even meant to say to that. In his indecision, he said nothing.

"You may be right, of course. There's always things to do! Reports to write, studies to study, trainers to meet." Augustine took a sip from his mug, staring out at the trees waving gently in the breeze before smiling back up at Lysandre. "Always things to be doing. I'm sure you're busy enough yourself, too. When do you hope to launch the Holo Caster?"

"Before the end of the year, ideally. I'm confident that we're on track."

"That's good." Another sip. "And then what?"

"...In terms of creations from the Labs? We have many projects in development at any one time, Sycamore. It's hard to say which one will come to the fore once we are at the release stage for the Holo Caster, but I have one or two in mind for the organization to focus on. I would hesitate to speak of them before they are ready, though. One must maintain a certain level of professional confidentiality."

"Of course, of course. ...I'm not sure I meant that, though."

"No?"

"Mm. Maybe I just want--... maybe I just want to know what _you'll_ do next, Lysandre. Aside from the Labs, aside from your company, aside from your professional confidentiality." He smiled, although Lysandre couldn't help but feel that there was some note of concern there, too. "I'm just curious, though. Too curious, I'm sure. None of my business, really."

Lysandre allowed the silence once more, half-wishing he could come back with some denial to Augustine's claim. Augustine was always just so open, open about _everything_ , and Lysandre often wasn't sure how to conduct himself in reply. There were many plans he had that he could detail--... but there was a difference between confidentiality and secrecy, and there were some things that Lysandre was not willing to inflict upon the world just yet. He'd asked Augustine to join his group in the past, but the suggestion had just been laughed off. Augustine saying that Lysandre's employees at the Labs were more intelligent and productive than he could ever be. Again, Lysandre was sure that Augustine meant it only as approval to the high standards that he held for the Labs, but the thought almost made him despair, sometimes. _You're the Pokemon professor of Kalos, hold your head up with pride--!_

Plans were in motion, but it would take time for them to gain traction. Augustine could smile at prototypes, but didn't need to know what was happening behind the scenes. Lysandre wondered if he would ever confront Augustine on his refusal to get involved; was he reluctant or perceptive? That was a conversation Lysandre was in no hurry to instigate.

"...I could ask you the same thing."

"You could."

And yet the silence still lay between them, giving comfort through plausible deniability. Lysandre knew that Augustine could ask any one of a hundred questions, but also suspected that he simply wouldn't. Suspected that these meetings would continue on in that same fashion, relaxed and repressed in equal measure. And Lysandre would leave, and time would pass - just long enough for Augustine to wonder the date of his next visit. Just long enough for Augustine to see these infrequent visits as something to cherish. Just long enough that his happiness on seeing Lysandre superseded any burning need to ask him any _further_ questions.

Eventually he would ask, Lysandre knew that much. And perhaps he would even give an answer, eventually. Until then, however, were warm Lumiose afternoons, coffee, and the silences between them.

(On finishing, Augustine asked if he would stay for another mug. Feeling no other pressing issue, Lysandre agreed.)


End file.
